The UK’s most important and prestigious theatre awards, the Olivier Awards, are coming up fast – here’s everything you need to know.
Organised by the Society of London Theatre, the awards cover all major acting and creative disciplines. Established in 1976, and named in honour of great British actor Laurence Olivier, the Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London’s West End theatre.
What date are the Olivier Awards 2024 winners announced?
The awards will take place on Sunday 14 April 2024, once again at the beautiful Royal Albert Hall in London.
Who are the winners of the 2024 Olivier Awards?
Check out the full list of winners for this year’s 2024 Olivier Awards. This article is being updated live.
Highlights included Sarah Snook winning Best actress for The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Mark Gatiss winning Best Actor for The Motive and the Cue; and Jamie Lloyd picking up Best director for Sunset Boulevard.
The Industry Recognition Awards were announced on 21 February 2024. To qualify for the awards, recipients have to demonstrate that they have achieved excellence in their field of work, have gone above and beyond in terms of dedication to their role and the industry, or have achieved pioneering and leading change.
The recipients of this year’s Olivier Awards 2024 Industry Recognition Awards are Sylvia Addison for her work in orchestral contracting; Vereen Irving for her work in ticketing and box office management; Robert Israel & Richard Walton for their work in theatre insurance; and Susan Whiddington CBE for her work in theatre education.
Who is nominated for an Olivier Awards 2024?
The 2024 Olivier Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday 12 March 2024 by Olivier Award winner Beverley Knight, who is about to star in Sister Act The Musical at the Dominion Theatre in London.
Big hitters at the nominations included Jamie Lloyd’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre with 11 nominations – the most out of any show, and Ruper Goold’s production of James Graham’s Dear England at the National Theatre and Prince Edward Theatre, and Nicholas Hytner’s production of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, both getting 9 nominations each.
Read the Full List of 2024 Olivier Awards nominations. Also see Olivier Awards 2024 – Nominated to shows to book right now
Who will host the Olivier Awards 2024?
This year’s 2024 awards will once again be hosted by multi-award winning stage and screen star Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso).
Hannah Waddingham has previously been nominated for three Olivier Awards – for Spamalot, A Little Night Music and Kiss Me, Kate. She has also won a Primetime Emmy and two Critics Choice Awards for her Apple series Ted Lasso.
The voiceover for the event will be acclaimed actor, comedian and writer Meera Syal.
Can I watch and listen to the the Olivier Awards 2024 at home?
Yes, in the UK highlights of the awards will be broadcast on ITV1 and on catch-up on ITVX, on the night of the awards.
ITV1 will broadcast the awards at 10:10pm in the UK.
Also TikTok will be the Awards’ official mobile entertainment platform, hosting their pre-ceremony Green Carpet livestream on tfficial London Theatre’s TikTok channel for the second year. Content creator and actor Maddie Grace Jepson will host the Green Carpet arrival live stream on TikTok from 4:30pm to 5:30pm BST.
On radio in the UK, in previous years Magic Radio and Magic at the Musicals broadcast the ceremony live on the night, although they won’t be broadcasting this year.
What shows and stars will perform at the 2024 Olivier Awards?
Every year there are performances from all of the Best New Musical nominees. This year there will be performances from The Little Big Things, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat, A Strange Loop, Guys & Dolls and Hadestown, plus there will be a special moment from Groundhog Day Australia.
Other performances include Hannah Waddingham opening the show with a musical number, accompanied by singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe.
There will also be a special grand finale and onstage dedication to the National Theatre, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Which stars are presenting at this year’s awards?
Stars of stage and screen who will be presenting awards at this year’s Olivier Awards 2024 include Carlos Acosta (Acosta Danza – Carlos Acosta’s Carmen), Freema Agyeman (Jamie Lloyd’s Romeo & Juliet), Michael Ball (Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular), Ryan Calais Cameron (For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy), Billy Crudup (Harry Clarke), Cara Delevingne (Cabaret), Adrian Dunbar (Kiss Me, Kate), Edward Enninful, Denise Gough (People, Places and Things), Lenny Henry, Ruth Jones (Sister Act), Beverley Knight (Sister Act), Henry Lewis (Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle), Anna Maxwell Martin (The Constituent), Lucian Msamati (Waiting for Godot), Georgina Onuorah (Hamilton, Kiss Me, Kate), Rosalind Plowright, Jonathan Sayer (Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle), Michael Sheen (Nye), Luke Treadaway (Cabaret), Anjana Vasan (A Streetcar Named Desire), Michelle Visage (The Addams Family) and Dominic West (A View From The Bridge).
Can I book tickets and attend the Olivier Awards 2024?
Yes, you can book a ticket to see the Awards take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 14 April 2024. Book tickets here [UPDATE: It appears that tickets have now sold out, but check website for details].
Where will be 2024 Olivier Awards ceremony be held?
As in previous years, the awards were announced at a glitzy ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
In previous years the Olivier Awards have been held in a variety of London and West End venues, including the Royal Opera House, the Dominion Theatre, London Palladium, Lyceum Theatre, National Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Shaftesbury Theatre, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Victoria Palace Theatre.
Who is directing and choreographing this year’s Olivier Awards 2024?
This information hasn’t yet been announced. Last year acclaimed choreographer Anthony Van Laast (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Mamma Mia!) directed and choreographed the awards.
What are the Olivier Awards categories?
The main Olivier Awards categories are Best New Play, Best New Musical, and the Best Actor and Actress categories for both plays and musicals. But there are also lots of other key award categories.
See a list of all Olivier Awards categories
Production Awards – Olivier Awards
Best New Play
Best Revival
Best New Comedy
Best New Musical
Best Musical Revival
Performer Awards – Olivier Awards
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Musical
Best Actress in a Musical
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Creative Awards – Olivier Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Music Production
Best Director
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
Best Set Design
Best Costume Design
Best Lighting Design
Best Sound Design
Dance Awards – Olivier Awards
Best New Dance Production
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Opera Awards – Olivier Awards
Best New Opera Production
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Special awards – Olivier Awards
Best Entertainment and Family
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
Special Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
What shows are eligible for a 2024 Olivier Award?
That’s a good question, and the answer is – a lot of shows! This year’s awards are selecting shows that opened between 15 February 2023 to 27 February 2024. The show has to have played in a theatre represented in membership of Society of London Theatre to be considered eligible, but that basically covers most West End theatres.
What theatres in London are eligible for 2024 Olivier Awards?
To be eligible to receive an Olivier Award, a show must be playing in one of the Society of London Theatre’s (SOLT’s) member theatres. There are also Affiliate members of SOLT can also put their shows forward, but only if they have opted to pay the Performance Levy to allow all their productions (in their main space) to be eligible for the main category Olivier Awards.
Check out our list of Society of London Theatre members to see who is eligible.
Who are the sponsors of this year’s Olivier Awards?
Sponsored Olivier Awards categories for 2024 are: Mastercard Best New Musical; The Londoner Award for Best New Play; Cunard Best Revival; Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or New Comedy Play; Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer; Blue I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design; d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design; White Light Award for Best Lighting Design; TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production; and Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.
Who won last year’s Olivier Awards 2023?
Check out the full list of winners from the Olivier Awards 2023 – Full list of winners; and also the awards in photos here: Olivier Awards 2023 – in pictures.
Also take a look at our Olivier Awards page for past winners of the awards. Also our Awards Data page for listings of winners going back to 1976.
I like Frozen To win